territorial waters

plural noun

: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

Examples of territorial waters in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The [Canadian Armed Forces] will continue to actively monitor vessels that continue to operate near Canadian territorial waters. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 Those in territorial waters are managed by the governments of those territories, while those in international waters are maintained either by collaborations between nations, or by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 July 2025 As of Tuesday, the Xue Long 2 was not in Canadian territorial waters, which extend up to 13.8 miles from the coastline, the Canadian Joint Operations Command told Newsweek. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025 Meanwhile, two other Chinese coast guard ships were monitored in the contiguous zone, a buffer area extending 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial waters. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for territorial waters

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of territorial waters was in 1841

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Territorial waters.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territorial%20waters. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Legal Definition

territorial waters

noun plural
territorial wa·​ters
: the waters under the sovereign jurisdiction of a nation or state including both marginal sea and inland waters

More from Merriam-Webster on territorial waters

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